A historic World War II warplane crashed Wednesday evening at Heritage Field Airport in Limerick Township, Montgomery County, flipping upside down in a grassy area. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, was extricated by emergency crews and transported to a nearby hospital.
The aircraft, identified through federal records as a 1944 Harvard 3
variant of the North American T-6—sporting a British Royal Navy paint scheme and historically designated as an SNJ in Navy service—went down at approximately 7:15 p.m. on the 3300 block of West Ridge Pike. Chopper video from the scene captured the single-engine aircraft resting upside down near the runway.
Emergency Response and Pilot Condition at Heritage Field Airport
First responders rushed to the airport shortly after the crash was reported. Limerick Fire Department Chief Ken Shuler noted that emergency crews arrived to find the pilot already being removed from the wreckage. The extent of the injuries remains undisclosed by officials, but Shuler said the pilot seemed to be talking and everything when he left the scene here.
Following the impact, fuel leaked from one of the plane’s wings. Firefighters remained on the scene as crews worked to upright the aircraft.
Aircraft History and Wartime Legacy
The crashed aircraft carries a pedigree rooted in military aviation history. Built in 1944, the T-6 airframe served as a trainer for Allied forces preparing combat pilots for advanced fighter aircraft during World War II. While it currently sports a British Royal Navy paint scheme, the historic warplane is privately owned and registered to a company located in Bucks County.
Naval variants like this one, referenced as North American T-6 Texans or SNJs, are part of historic aviation. These aircraft appear at regional airfields.
Federal Investigation Into the Montgomery County Incident
Local authorities moved quickly to secure the site. Limerick Township officials contacted both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board to lead the formal inquiry into what caused the warplane to crash Wednesday evening.
Crews cleared the damaged aircraft from the grass beside the runway Wednesday night.
